Switch-key.



UNITED STATES 1 A TENT OFFCE.

ALBERT E. F. GILSON, OF CLOSTER, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SWITCH-KEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

Application tiled February 10, 1914. Serial No. 817,832.

To all lwhom, it may concern4 Be it known that I, ALnna'r F. F. G'iLsoN, a citizen of the United States, rcsidnw at Closter, iu the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful 1in rovement in Switch-Keys, of which the fo lowing is 'a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to telephone keys, and more particularly to what are known as listeninff and ringin keys.

The (ibjcet of the invention is to rovide a cushioniner means to prevent the re ound or blow of tlie key lever when restored to normal )osition from opening the normally closed contacts of the key.

In accordance with the invention, one or iuore of the master switch springs, that is, those en aged by the operating means, are provide( with a yielding portion which 1s engaged by the operating roller to prevent the bodily movement of Said springs out of contact with their engaging contacts until said lever has been move(` a considerable distance out of normal. This resilient means may comprise a loop formed of the ends of the master contact springs, and so shaped that the loop itself is distorted out of uormal position when engaged by the actuating roller before the bodily movement of the said master springs begins.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view siowiiur a switch key embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Figs. Il, l and are side elevations, showing the key in u normal, listening and ringine` position, resplutively.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the several views.

rllie structure shown comprises a top )late 1, supporting a switch actuating roc :ing `lever 2. Associated with the key is a snpporting frame of inverted U-shape, having downwardly extending arms 1, 4, which are united by a bridging member or rib 7, upon either side whereof sprin ile-un units (l, 6, are mounted by means o b ocks 8, 8. Said units are positioned so as to hold the contact springs in operative relation with the actuating rollers.

The moans provided for cushioning the operating lever consists of master sprin members 11, 12, formed at the top into {lexible loops 13, 14, and so positioned with resDect to the operating lever 2 that the knees of said loops 13, 14 extend away from the operating lever 2. The spring ends 15 projecting from the loops bear against the plunger rollers 1G, l?, unless the key lever 2 is in an operated position, in which case one or the other of said projecting ends will be disengaged. Upon the actuation of the lever .2 from the normal position, the roller car ricd thereby engages the projecting end 15 of either of the loops 13 or 14, depending upon the direction said lever is operated, and moves toward the knee of the engaged loo i, with the result that the resiliency of said loop is absorbed before the body movement ofthe spring takes place. Fig. il shows the innster spring members 11, 19. with the key plunger in a normal position. When the key is in this position, there is a slight pressure exerted against the plunger rollers 16, 17 by the loop shaped ends 13, 14 olt Said master spring member, which tend .to rotate the actuating member 2 about its pivotal point, unless said member has been moved to its extreme position. lf the ar tuating member is moved to its extreme position, it is locked in that position by the pressure of one of the loop shaped ends against the rollei. Figs. #l and 5 show the key in an operated position, whereby one or the other of the master spring members is disengaged.

When the lever 2 is operated it may be moved a considerable distance before contacts that are normally closed are interrupted, und contacts that are normally open become closed. Upon the actuation ol' the lever, one of the plunger rollers engages the extension of one of the loop shaped top portions, causing said loop shaped portion m contact with the roller to change its angular position in regard to the lever roller until a position is reached where no further change takes place, which in a. locking key is a short distance from the end of the stroke. During the time that the lever is returning when released, this same movement is again gone through, except that, of course, it is reversed. 'l he combined action of the spring and roll prevents the lever from quickly releasing until it has been manually moved nearly to its normal position. It is thus possible to obtain a relatively slow release for a major part ot lllll llo compression in it.

the stroke, and a quick release for the last part, as a lresult of which the blow of the plunger striking the opposite set of springs vis considerably lessened. By the means proagreeable disturbance in the line connection.

What is claimed is:

l. In a key switchJ the combination with an operating device, of a pair'of normally closedV switch springs controlled thereby, one ci' said springs carrying a resilient portion to be engaged by said operating device; all of the resilience of said portion being. taken up after the engagement of said operating device and before the separation of said contacts occurs.

2. In a key switch, the combination with an operating lever, o an insulated springactuating member carried thereon, a spring engaged by said member having two resilient portions, one of said resilient portions being iioxed upon the first engagement of said insulated actuating member with said' spring to absorb the inertia of said operat- -ing lever, and the other of said resilient portions being flexed by the manual move ment of said .operating lever, and circuit controlling contacts actuated by the flexure 'of the last namedresilient portion.-

3. In a key switch, the Acombination with a movable operating device, of a switch spring adapted to be engagedby'said device,

means for throwing said device into engagement with said switch spring when the device has been manually released, and a resilient member carried on said switch spring to absorb the inertia of said operating member when the latter is thrown into engagement with said switch spring so that the contact portion of said switch spring will not be unduly moved out of its normal position by the inertia of said actuating inember in its engagement with said switch spring. 1

4:. In akey switch, a group of contact springs embracing a master Contact member, an operating lever, a resilient loop shaped portion on said master contact member having its free end normally engagedby said operating lever and so positioned that said operating lever moves toward the knee of said loop-shaped portion upon being actu'- ated from normal position.

5. In a key switch, a group of contact springs embracing a master contact inember, an operating lever, and a compressible loop shaped portion on said master contact member having its free end normally en* gaged by said operating lever and so positioned that said operating lever moves toward the knee of said loop-shaped portion upon being actuated from normal position.

6. In a key switch, a group of contact springs embracing a master contact member, an operating lever, and a loop shaped portion on said master contact member, said loopv having an extending end adapted to be engaged by and extending toward said operating lever.

7. ln` a key switch, an operating lever, a switch spring having one end securedfto the switch frame and having its free end formed into a resilient loop, and so positioned with respect to said operating lever that the knee of said loop extends away from said lever when' the latteris in normal position.

In witness Whereof,-I hereunto subscribe my name this 6th day of February A. D.,

' ALBERT F. F. GILSON.

Witnesses:

J. F. Elmar, NaNoN E. TUTHILL. 

